Quranic & Prophetic Nurturing Program Surah An Noor Class 22 Date: 24 October 2018 / 15 Safar 1440 Introduction When a person goes outside then he s responsible for himself.. A person shouldn t expect others to take precaution, the person himself should take precaution when going outside. For example when driving, a person can t say, everyone follows the rules and it s their problem if they don t. A person needs to take precaution because he can get affected. When a person guards his tongue and private parents then the Prophet (ﷺ) guarantees paradise for him and this shows these are two matters which a person needs to take precaution. Ayat 30 and 31 are common commands for both the man and woman, but for the woman there s an extra command. Recall in the beginning of the surah, it mentions the adulteress and adulterer, the female is mentioned first because anything she does can be attractive so it s important for her to take precaution. Not everyone needs to see the woman s beauty except those mentioned in the ayat. People think she s oppressed to not show her beauty to all but it s an honor for her. The woman is attractive and she s not a tool to be used by others. Ayah 30 ق ل ل ل م ؤ م ن ين يغ ض وا م ن أ ب صار ه م ويح فظ وا ف ر وجه م ذ ل ك أز ك ى له م إ ن للا خب ير ب ما يص نع ون Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is All- Aware of what they do. Surah An Noor is addressing social issues especially regarding modesty. A person will not have light without modesty and when this issue is addressed it will solve other issues. These rules are from Allah (جل جلاله) and it s suitable for all times and places; they are in line with the fitra. Someone who s in darkness and immodesty doesn t know the light and beauty of modesty. (Tell the believing men): if a person is a believer then he will accept the following (ق ل ل ل م ؤ م ن ين ( command and it s an encouragement to follow it. A person doesn t know if he s a believer or not, but if he wants to prove his belief then he will follow. This rule is addressing the believing 1 P a g e
men. There are some rules which are for all and some rules are for men only and for women only. For example, there is congregation prayer for men, but not women. Men are not equal to women, the man is not like the woman so we shouldn t make each one to be like the other. The two commands are: (to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things): to lower their ) يغ ض وا م ن أ ب صار ه م ( gaze and the eyes are mentioned before the tongue because when going out a person is a receiver. The eyes are not to be totally closed otherwise the person can t walk, but to be lowered. Alhamdulilah our eyes have lids are not just popping out. To lower the gaze is permissible and not always obligatory for example a person wouldn t lower the gaze at home, but there are times where it s obligatory to lower the gaze: 1. One cannot look at the awrat and faults of others ( الى العورات.(النظر For example to look at the legs of others, or to look at people who are in a car accident. If someone is dressed in an exposed manner then he shouldn t look. النساء ( to 2. Ladies who are foreign to him which are ladies whom he s not muhram And this includes not looking at covered and not covered women. Imagine.(االجنبيات if the man followed this rule then when he returns home, the wife is so happy and he s so happy to see her because he s not comparing her to someone else, subhan Allah. 3. To not look at men who have soft features or hairless faces which can cause fitna (المردان الذي يخافون الفتنة ( (زينة الدنيا ( duniya 4. Adornment and attraction of the The more a person opens his eyes to look, the more it blocks his heart from insight. When the man is not looking then it will stop others with a bad intention. The eyes are one of the arrows of Iblis which quickly goes to the heart. (غض البصر ( Gaze Lowering the Lowering the gaze is to lower one s gaze from what s prohibited. In the Sunnah: عن عبادة بن الص امت- رضي للا عنه- أن ه قال: قال رسول للا صل ى للا عليه وسل م:»اضمنوا لي ست ا من أنفسكم أضمن لكم ( Hadith: (ﷺ) (The Prophet (الجن ة: اصدقوا إذا حد ثتم وأوفوا إذا وعدتم وأد وا إذا ائتمنتم واحافظوا فروجكم وغض وا أبصاركم وكف وا أيديكم said if you guarantee six then I guarantee paradise for you: be truthful when speaking, fulfill your promise, fulfill the trusts, protect your private parts, lower you gaze and do not harm others) Sahih Aj Jami e 1018, Authenticated by Al Albani as Hasan lowering the gaze is one matter which will make someone enter paradise. 2 P a g e
عن أبي سعيد الخدر ي- رضي للا عنه- قال: قال رسول للا صل ى للا عليه وسل م:»إي اكم والجلوس في الط رقات«. فقالوا: يا ( Hadith: رسول للا ما لنا من مجالسنا بد نتحد ث فيها. فقال:»فإذا أبيتم إ ل المجلس فأعطوا الط ريق حق ه«. قالوا: وما ح ق الط ريق يا رسول للا. said, "Beware! Avoid (ﷺ) (The Prophet («قال:»غض البصر وك ف األذى ور د الس الم واألمر بالمعروف والن هي عن المنكر sitting on he roads (ways)." The people said, "There is no way out of it as these are our sitting places where we have talks." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If you must sit there, then observe the rights of the way." They asked, "What are the rights of the way?" He said, "They are the lowering of your gazes (on seeing what is illegal to look at), refraining from harming people, returning greetings, advocating good and forbidding evil.") - Sahih al-bukhari 2465. A person should give rights of the road if a person is sitting outside, what are they? 1. Lowering the gaze: nowadays people sit outside to look at others 2. To not harm others: not make fun or comment 3. Return the salam 4. Command to what s right and prohibit the munkar (عن جرير بن عبد للا- رضي للا عنه- أن ه قال: سألت رسول للا صل ى للا عليه وسل م عن نظر الفجاءة فأمرني أن أصرف بصري ( Hadith: (I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about the sudden glance (that is cast) on the face (of a non- Mahram). He commanded me that I should turn away my eyes.) - Sahih Muslim 2159 :(أقوال السلف والعلماء ( scholars Sayings of the righteous predecessors and Ibn Masood هللا عنه) (رضي said it s more difficult to guard the eyes than to guard the tongue. Sins affect the hearts and the look goes to the heart. One should start his day with lowering the gaze, so they considered it a worship. Looking at a woman and looking at her from the back puts desire in the heart. Whoever guards his eyes then Allah (جل جلاله) will give insight to his heart. (من فوائد غض البصر ( gaze Benefits of lowering the 1. Sweetness of faith: one will not taste sweetness of the faith when he s not lowering his gaze. Anyone who leaves the pleasure of looking then Allah (جل جلاله) will give pleasure to his heart with sweetness of faith, subhan Allah. 2. Light in the heart: when a person has light in his heart then he will understand people. 3. Strength and firmness of the heart: Allah (جل جلاله) gave us eyes to look at matters which increase our faith, not decrease it. When a person looks at haram then he will not enjoy looking at the halal. The eyes are like an advanced camera taking pictures and being stored in the heart, عن أب ي ه ري رة ع ن النب ي صلى للا عليه ( Hadith: subhan Allah. The eyes sin, just as the ears and tongue sin. وسلم قال " ك ب ت على اب ن آدم نص يب ه م ن الز نى م د ر ك ذل ك ل محالة فال عي نا ن ز ناه ما النظ ر واأل ذ نا ن ز ناه ما ال س ت ما ع والل سا ن ز ناه ال كال م وال ي د 3 P a g e
ك ل (Abu Huraira reported Allah's ) ز ناها ال بط ش والر ج ل ز ناها ال خ طا وال قل ب ي هوى ويتمنى وي صد ق ذل ك ال فر ج وي كذ ب ه ". Messenger (ﷺ) as saying. Allah fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in. There would be no escape from it. The adultery of the eye is the lustful look and the adultery of the ears is listening to voluptuous (song or talk) and the adultery of the tongue is licentious speech and the adultery of the hand is the lustful grip (embrace) and the adultery of the feet is to walk (to the place) where he intends to commit adultery and the heart yearns and desires which he may or may not put into effect.) Sahih Muslim 2658. What made the monk Barseesa to die as a devil worshipper? Because he looked and it led to other downward steps. What made the one who had the Quran memorized to die as a disbeliever? Because he looked. 4. Quality of the believers 5. Console and comfort to people and it will irritate the shaitan (and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts).): one protects ) ويح فظ وا ف ر وجه م ( his private parts by not following the steps of the shaitan from looking, talking, meeting and touching. is giving us the means to purification. When (جل جلاله) (That is purer for them..): Allah (ذ أ ز ك ى له م ( we follow Allah s commands then we ll be purified and honored. Lowering the gaze and guarding the private parts will purify the person, he will be clean from sins and he will be given enrichment to perform good deeds. Most of good deeds are not done because these two matters are not being guarded, subhan Allah. When these matters are guarded then the quality of deeds will be greater; one s prayer, Quran and other deeds will be of greater quality. What are matters which one can look at? To look at his wife, children, proposal, witness. knows the (جل جلاله) (Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what they do): Allah (إ ن للا خب ير ب ما يص نع ون ( consequence to all matters, these actions can lead to something big. Ayah 31 وق ل ل ل م ؤ م نا ت يغ ض ض ن م ن أب صار ه ن ويح فظ ن ف ر وجه ن ول ي ب د ين ز ينته ن إ ل ما ظهر م ن ها ول يض ر ب ن ب خ م ر ه ن على ج ي وب ه ن ول ي ب د ين ز ينته ن إ ل ل ب ع ولت ه ن أ و آبائ ه ن أ و آبا ء ب ع ولت ه ن أ و أب نائ ه ن أ و أب نا ء ب ع ولت ه ن أ و إ خ وان ه ن أ و بن ي إ خ وان ه ن أ و بن ي أخوات ه ن أ و ن سائ ه ن أ و ما ملك ت أ ي مان ه ن أ و التاب ع ين غي ر أ ول ي ا ل ر ب ة م ن الر جا ل أ و الط ف ل الذ ين ل م يظ هر وا عل ى عو را ت الن سا ء ول يض ر ب ن ب أ ر ج ل ه ن ل ي ع لم ما ي خ ف ين م ن ز ينت ه ن وت وب وا إ لى للا جم يع ا أي ه ال م ؤ م ن ون لعلك م ت ف ل ح ون And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment 4 P a g e
except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. (And tell the believing women to lower (وق ل ل ل م ؤ م نا ت يغ ض ض ن م ن أ ب صار ه ن ويح فظ ن ف ر وجه ن ( their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts)): the command for believing women is the same as believing men, which includes: 1. One cannot look at the awrat and faults of others ( الى العورات.(النظر Even between women there are awrat by not dressing tightly and not wearing transparent clothing because there are women attracted to other women, astaghfar Allah..(النساء االجنبيات ( her 2. Men who are foreign to 3. To not look at men who have soft features or hairless faces which can cause fitna (المردان الذي يخافون الفتنة ( (زينة الدنيا ( duniya 4. Adornment and attraction of the ول ي ب د ين ز ينته ن إ ل ما ظهر م ن ها ول يض ر ب ن ب خ م ر ه ن عل ى ج ي وب ه ن ول ي ب د ين ز ينته ن إ ل ل ب ع ولت ه ن أ و آبائ ه ن ( أ و آبا ء ب ع ولت ه ن أ و أب نائ ه ن أ و أب نا ء ب ع ولت ه ن أ و إ خ وان ه ن أ و بن ي إ خ وان ه ن أ و بن ي أخوات ه ن أ و ن سائ ه ن أ و ما ملكت أ ي مان ه ن أ و التاب ع ين غي ر أ ول ي ا ل ر ب ة م ن الر جا ل أ و الط ف ل الذ ين ل م يظ هر وا عل ى عو را ت الن سا ء ول (and not to ) يض ر ب ن ب أ ر ج ل ه ن ل ي ع لم ما ي خ ف ين م ن ز ينت ه ن وت وب وا إ لى للا جم يع ا أي ه ال م ؤ م ن ون لعلك م ت ف ل ح ون show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) 5 P a g e
women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.): to be continued in sha a Allah. What did we learn from these ayat and how can we change for the better? Lowering the gaze May Allah (جل جلاله) help us to act on what we learned. Ameen. 6 P a g e